nitrofurans

In 2017 and 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused a total of twenty-seven (27) entry lines of Indian shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. For these two years, Indian shrimp accounted for one out of every five entry lines of shrimp refused for banned antibiotics (27 out of 108).

Yet, shrimp sourced from India accounts for more than one out of every three pounds of shrimp imported into the United States and the Indian shrimp farming industry is notorious for its failure to curtail the use of banned antibiotics in its aquaculture. The low number of entry line refusals reported by the FDA regarding Indian shrimp imports over the last two years has been all the more disturbing given the public concerns voiced by other importing markets, particularly the European Union, regarding India’s inability to meaningfully address the continued presence of banned antibiotics in its shrimp exports.

Last month, the FDA reported refusing twenty-six (26) shrimp entry lines for reasons related to banned antibiotics. All 26 were of shrimp shipped from India. These 26 entry lines represented 14.9% of the 175 total seafood entry lines refused in January 2019.

The 26 shrimp entry lines refused last month are roughly half of the total shrimp entry lines refused for reasons related to banned antibiotics in all of 2018. They represent the highest total number of shrimp entry lines refused for reasons related to banned antibiotics since August 2016, when the FDA refused 35 shrimp entry lines for antibiotics, of which 24 were from India. Further, as shown in the chart below, the 26 shrimp entry lines refused last month are equal to the total number of shrimp entry lines refused for reasons related to banned antibiotics in all of 2006.

The 26 shrimp entry line refusals for January from India were from two different exporters:

Royale Marine Impex Pvt. Ltd. (India), a company that has been listed on Import Alert 16-129 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Seafood Products Due to Nitrofurans”) since August 9, 2018, had six entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans by the Division of Southeast Imports on January 28, 2019 and another eighteen entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans by the Division of Southeast Imports on January 30, 2019; and

Kaylan Aqua & Marine Exports India (India), a company that is not currently listed on Import Alert 16-124 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquaculture Seafood Products Due to Unapproved Drugs”), Import Alert 16-127 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Crustaceans Due to Chloramphenicol”), or Import Alert 16-129, had two entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues by the Division of West Coast Imports on January 2, 2019.

In addition to the rejections of antibiotic-contaminated Indian shrimp, the FDA reported refusing another six entry lines of shrimp from India due to the presence of salmonella in January. These shipments were from three different Indian shrimp exporters: (1) Linus Agroventure Private Limited (three entry lines refused by the Division of West Coast Imports); (2) Paragon Sea Foods (two entry lines refused by the Division of West Coast Imports); and (3) Naik Seafoods Ltd. (one entry line refused by the Division of Northeast Imports).

In 2017 and 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused a total of twenty-seven (27) entry lines of Indian shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. For these two years, Indian shrimp accounted for one out of every five entry lines of shrimp refused for banned antibiotics (27 out of 108). Yet, shrimp sourced from India accounts for more […]

India is the leading source of shrimp found by FDA to be contaminated with either salmonella or banned antibiotics In August 2013, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a final determination finding that the Indian government provided significant countervailable subsidies to Indian shrimp producers and exporters.[1] Unfortunately, the U.S. government has taken no action to countervail those subsidies since Commerce […]

For the month of October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that 4 out of the 96 (4.2%) total seafood entry line refusals were of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. The FDA additionally updated its reporting for the month of September to now include an additional refusal of a shrimp entry line for reasons related to […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now made public information regarding import refusals for February 2018. Last month, the FDA reported that 3 out of the 156 (1.9%) total seafood entry line refusals were of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. At the same time, the FDA revised its reporting of refusals for January to now omit reference […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released information regarding import refusals for September through September 22, 2017. Over the first three weeks of September, the FDA reports that 17 of 76 (22.4%) total seafood entry line refusals were of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. The FDA also issued public notice of additional seafood entry line refusals […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released information regarding entry line refusals for the period running from Tuesday, April 18th through Friday, May 26th. For the full month of April and all but three days of May, 22 of the 227 (9.7%) total seafood entry line refusals reported have been of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now released information regarding entry line refusals for the entire month of April. In total, 19 of the 114 (16.7%) of the entry line refusals reported for this month have been of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. The FDA’s 19 entry line refusals for the month of April were the […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now released information regarding entry line refusals for the month of April through last Monday, April 17th. In total, 7 of the 46 (15.2%) of the entry line refusals reported for this month have been of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. The seven shrimp entry lines refused by the FDA […]

This morning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) released information regarding entry line refusals for the month of March. In total, 7 of the 209 (3.3%) of the entry line refusals reported for last month were of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. In addition, the FDA reported refusing another 7 entry lines of shrimp exported from China […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) has released information regarding entry line refusals for first month of 2017. In total, 8 of the 145 (5.5%) entry line refusals in January were of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. The total number of entry line rejections in January was the highest in a month since August of last year. […]